'Negligence of Duty' Former NIS Director Cho Tae-yong Faces Arrest..."I Will Respond Sincerely"

[Financial News] Cho Tae-yong, former NIS director, is facing possible arrest on charges of failing to report to the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea after being informed in advance of Yoon Suk Yeol’s December 3 martial law plan.
At 9:36 a.m. on the 11th, Cho appeared before Judge Jungho Park of the Seoul Central District Court for a pretrial detention hearing on charges including violating the NIS Act, dereliction of duty, perjury, destruction of evidence, and falsification of official documents.
When asked by reporters about reasons for not reporting the martial law plan to the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea after hearing about it, or why he did not report after Hong Jeong-won, former NIS First Deputy Director, informed him of a call between Yoon Suk Yeol and Yeo In-hyung, former Counterintelligence Commander, or why he did not provide CCTV footage requested by the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Cho did not respond. When asked about his thoughts on the hearing, he briefly stated, "I will respond sincerely to the pretrial detention hearing."
Seven legal officials, including Special Prosecutor Woosung Jang, are expected to participate in the hearing. The special investigation team, led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok, has prepared a 482-page opinion and a 151-slide presentation to emphasize the necessity of Cho’s arrest. After the hearing, Cho will be transferred to the Seoul Detention Center to await the results.
Cho is accused of dereliction of duty for failing to report the martial law plan to the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, even though he was aware of it before President Yoon Suk Yeol’s public address. According to the NIS Act, the NIS director must promptly report to the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee if a situation arises that significantly affects national security. The special investigation team believes Cho intentionally neglected his duty by not reporting to the committee, despite having learned of the plan in advance during a State Council meeting before the martial law declaration. On the day martial law was declared, Cho was summoned to the presidential office around 9 p.m., where Yoon Suk Yeol informed State Council members of his intention to declare martial law. After the State Council meeting, Cho was seen folding a document, presumed to be related to martial law, and placing it in his suit pocket.
Additionally, the special investigation team considers it dereliction of duty that Cho did not report to the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea after receiving a report from Hong Jeong-won that the martial law forces were seeking to detain Lee Jae-myung and Han Dong-hoon.
Furthermore, Cho is accused of violating the ban on political involvement by providing CCTV footage of Hong Jeong-won’s movements during martial law only to the People Power Party, while withholding footage of his own movements from the DPK. The special investigation team believes that Cho intentionally provided the footage to the then-ruling party, the People Power Party, knowing it could influence the impeachment trial, while refusing the DPK’s request on the grounds of 'national security,' which they see as political involvement.
The special investigation team also charged Cho with perjury for testifying at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and the Constitutional Court of Korea during Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial after martial law, stating in March last year at the 'Samcheong-dong safe house meeting' that he had never heard the term 'emergency powers.'
The results of the hearing are expected to be announced late tonight at the earliest.
theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter